--At this time there is still more supply then there is demandthus making pricing extremely competitive, especially with lumber pricesrising.

--The institutional markets have declined by over 40 percentfrom the peak. It appears that we are close to the bottom of the decline andwill see some growth in the next few years. Decline has reduced the number ofmanufacturers; supply and demand balanced.

--Each customer presents a unique challenge that seek to meetwith capabilities and service that are just as customized as the fixtures. Ourgoal is to build long-term partnerships with our customers, supporting everystage of their brand journey.

--Customer lead times, and tightening availability of well-qualifiedemployees.

--Sales conversions.

--Freight into Eastern Canada.

--Competitive pricing pressure.

--Volatile raw material markets.

--Working with such thin margins

--Rising costs of heath care.

--Competition from China

--Unpredictable volatility of markets due to recentrecessionary influences.

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About the Author:

Karl D. Forth

Karl D. Forth is online editor for CCI Media. He also writes news and feature stories in FDMC Magazine, in addition to newsletters and custom publishing projects. He is also involved in event organization, and compiles the annual FDM 300 list of industry leaders. He can be reached at karl.forth@woodworkingnetwork.com.